Kitazawa and his group returned to Konoha Village in the new week.
Since it was already the final exam period, Sasuke and the others didn't need to rush back to the Ninja Academy for theoretical classes.
However, Kitazawa didn't know if Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kurenai had already completed their missions with their teams, so he told them to go back and wait for a notice.
After they left, Konan reappeared.
On the way back to the village, because Kitazawa had to lead the team, he didn't let her fly, so she had been following in the shadows.
"You've worked hard these past few days. I'm giving you a week off." Kitazawa looked at her, thought for a moment, and said, "You can also return to the Akatsuki Organization."
The Genius Class's final exams were over, and then came summer vacation.
Although there would still be summer training, with fewer people, he had more free time and didn't need Konan for now.
Furthermore, Konan had been flying him around a lot during this period, which was indeed quite tiring.
"Thank you." Konan was startled for a moment, then agreed.
"See you next time." Kitazawa reached out and patted her head, then turned and left.
Konan didn't expect his intimate gesture. She stood rooted to the spot, watching his retreating figure, and fell into a daze.
Kitazawa returned home, but Kurenai hadn't come back yet. This was normal, though; when going out on missions, it was always possible to be delayed for any amount of time.
Kitazawa thought for a moment, then went to the Hokage Office.
As soon as he entered, he found Tsunade and Shizune there. Both had taken off their shoes and were sitting cross-legged on the sofa.
"Are you cultivating Yang Release Chakra Mode?" Kitazawa glanced left and right and asked.
"Kitazawa, when did you become like Lady Tsunade? Don't you knock on doors anymore?" Shizune stopped cultivating, nodded, and asked again.
"What do you mean by that?" Tsunade immediately straightened her face and asked, "What do you mean he became like me?"
"Teacher Tsunade never knocks; I only occasionally don't knock." Kitazawa said seriously, "Indeed, you can't say I've become like Teacher Tsunade."
Shizune couldn't help but laugh.
"…?"
Tsunade immediately looked up at Kitazawa upon hearing this. Her beautiful eyes glowed fiercely, as if she was about to devour him the next second.
"Hmph, you two have such deep sibling-like affection, then you teach her Yang Release Chakra Mode!" Tsunade stood up, put on her shoes, and sat down at the Hokage's desk.
"Alright, I have nothing to do anyway, I can teach Shizune-senpai." Kitazawa shook his head and said.
"I feel like something isn't quite right." Shizune's mouth twitched as she spoke. How did she suddenly become Kitazawa's student?
"Senior Shizune." Kitazawa walked over, sat opposite her, and asked, "How far have you progressed with your Yang Release Chakra Mode?"
"I only started learning today," Shizune replied.
"Today?" Kitazawa couldn't help but laugh, "It seems our Teacher Tsunade…"
"I can hear you!" Tsunade's threatening voice came over.
"It's not Lady Tsunade's fault." Shizune shook her head and explained, "It's mainly because I have too much work; I didn't have time to learn before."
"Alright then, let's start class." Kitazawa didn't ask her why she had so much work, as the answer was obvious.
Although Shizune's Medical Ninjutsu talent was not as good as Tsunade's, she was still a genius among geniuses.
Coupled with her excellent foundation, her speed in learning the Yang Release Chakra Mode was quite good.
"Kitazawa, your teaching level is higher than Lady Tsunade's." Shizune couldn't help but exclaim.
"If she hears that, she'll get angry again." Kitazawa chuckled and said.
"I already heard it!" Tsunade showed dissatisfaction on her face, but then her eyes rolled, and she said, "I'm taking the afternoon off today!"
"You can take a vacation, but you can't go to the Casino." Shizune immediately said.
"I didn't say I was going to the Casino." Tsunade said without changing her expression, "If you don't believe me, let Kitazawa accompany me this afternoon."
Shizune subconsciously looked at Kitazawa.
"Alright, I'll supervise her for you," Kitazawa said with a serious expression.
"You absolutely cannot go to the Casino," Shizune emphasized again.
"I understand." Kitazawa nodded and said, "Senior Shizune, you can trust me."
"Then you cultivate, and Kitazawa and I are going out to play!" Tsunade impatiently ran in front of them. Without waiting for Shizune's reply, she pulled Kitazawa out the door.
"…?" Shizune looked at them, vaguely feeling that she had been tricked by their collaboration. But with Kitazawa's personality, he shouldn't be lying to her.
"Teacher Tsunade." Outside the door, Kitazawa grabbed her hand and said, "As the Hokage, it's not good for people to see you looking so impatient."
"I'm not impatient." Tsunade coughed lightly and said.
She was just excited about not working and going to the Casino.
"When did you get back?" Tsunade glanced at her grabbed hand and asked.
"Just got back." Kitazawa glanced left and right, confirmed the hallway was empty, then leaned close to her ear.
"What are you doing?" Tsunade subconsciously looked around.
"I just got back and haven't even rested, and you're making me teach Senior Shizune. I'm working so hard, shouldn't I get an extra reward?"
Kitazawa looked at her fair neck, blew a breath, and asked.
Tsunade's body trembled; her delicate collarbone and fair skin shook with it. Kitazawa subconsciously swallowed.
"You need a reward for such a small thing?" Tsunade glared at him, then turned and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Alright, don't waste time, let's go to the Casino now."
She broke free from Kitazawa's hand and walked out, her eyes slightly curved, a smile on her face.
"Teacher Tsunade." Kitazawa chased after her, his tone serious, "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Tsunade glanced at him, her smile fading, and asked.
"What do you think about the Caged Bird Cursed Seal?" Kitazawa thought for a moment and asked.
"Why are you suddenly asking this question?" Tsunade was immediately surprised and couldn't help but ask back.
"It's because of Hyuga Neji." Kitazawa explained, "Because of his father's incident, Neji previously deeply resented the Hyuga Main Family and the Caged Bird Cursed Seal."
"Do you want the Hyuga Main Family to abolish the Caged Bird Cursed Seal?" Tsunade instinctively frowned and said, "That's impossible."
She knew very well that the Caged Bird Cursed Seal had already become the Hyuga Main Family's tool of control.
Most importantly, because of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, the Hyuga Main Family and Branch Family had accumulated deep grievances over thousands of years.
Once it was abolished, no one could predict what the Hyuga Branch Family would do.
"Teacher Tsunade, I understand your concerns." Kitazawa smiled and said, "But I think you're overthinking this matter."
"What do you mean?" Tsunade was startled for a moment and asked.
"The Ninja World ultimately respects strength." Kitazawa looked at her and said.
"You really are like my student." Tsunade smiled upon hearing this and said.
"I am your student." Kitazawa glanced at her and asked, "Is there something wrong with your thinking?"
"Suppressing with strength is certainly possible, but I am the Hokage now." Tsunade suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, changed the subject, and said.
As the Hokage, she had to consider everything carefully.
After all, so many Ninja clans were watching her. If she acted forcefully against the Hyuga Clan, it would cause concern among the other clans.
"What if Clan Head Hiashi himself has the idea of abolishing the Caged Bird Cursed Seal?" Kitazawa thought for a moment and asked.
"He actually has such a thought?" Tsunade couldn't help but feel surprised.
As the clan head and a member of the Main Family, Hyuga Hiashi was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal.
"Hyuga Hanabi." Kitazawa reminded her.
"No wonder." Tsunade understood immediately.
Hyuga Hanabi was already four years old, yet Hyuga Hiashi had not applied the Caged Bird Cursed Seal on her.
If she was considered part of the Main Family, then the Caged Bird Cursed Seal should have been applied to Hyuga Hinata long ago—but it hadn't been.
"This is indeed a good opportunity," Tsunade said thoughtfully.
If the Caged Bird Cursed Seal were abolished, who would benefit the most? Not the Hyuga Branch Family, but Konoha Village.
For a long time, because of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, Hyuga Branch Family Ninjas would follow orders but never pledge loyalty to Konoha Village.
Their lives were controlled by the Hyuga Main Family, and even if they followed Konoha's orders, it was because of the Main Family.
Even Danzo's Root would not recruit Hyuga Branch Family Ninjas.
Without the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, the Hyuga Branch Family would truly swear allegiance to Konoha Village.
"But without the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, how would the Byakugan be protected?" Tsunade thought of this and couldn't help but ask.
"I've modified the Caged Bird Cursed Seal." Kitazawa took out a scroll and said.
Tsunade was stunned, then opened the scroll and began to read.
The modified Caged Bird Cursed Seal retained only one function: protecting the Byakugan.
Furthermore, it abolished the side effect of the original Caged Bird Cursed Seal—the blind spot in the Hyuga Branch Family's Byakugan field of vision.
Normal Hyuga Main Family Ninjas had a 360-degree Byakugan with no blind spots, but Branch Family Ninjas were missing one degree.
In the original story, Kidōmaru exploited this flaw, forcing Hyuga Neji into a difficult battle.
"When did you start modifying the Caged Bird Cursed Seal?" After reading, Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance and asked, "I'm the Hokage, after all. Why didn't you tell me?"
Anyone else would surely think Kitazawa had ulterior motives and planned to rebel.
"The Caged Bird Cursed Seal was very difficult to modify; I wasn't confident." Kitazawa blinked and explained, "Therefore, as soon as I succeeded, I came straight to you."
"That reason is acceptable." Tsunade handed the scroll back to him and said, "You go ahead, I support you."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded.
He wanted Tsunade's stance. After all, she was the Hokage. Once he became Hokage, he could act even more freely.
Upon arriving at the Casino, Tsunade immediately forgot about the Hyuga Clan and excitedly rushed to the gambling table.
Kitazawa sat beside her and thought of a movie. More precisely, he thought of it because of Naruto.
A movie called The Lost Tower, which tells the story of Naruto meeting his father.
Simply put, in Rōran of the Land of Wind, there existed a Chakra aggregate called the Ryūmyaku.
Naruto and the others traveled back in time through the Ryūmyaku and met Minato Namikaze and his team, who were on a mission in Rōran.
Ultimately, father and son worked together to defeat the villain of Rōran, then had their memories sealed and returned to their original timelines.
Kitazawa had no interest in going back to the past.
Because he knew very well that such time travel could easily cause disruptions. He was already very satisfied with his current life and didn't want to change anything.
However, helping Naruto fulfill a dream once was possible.
Besides that, the Ryūmyaku also held considerable value. In Kitazawa's view, the Ryūmyaku was like a Tailed Beast without consciousness.
In other words, a Ryūmyaku Jinchuriki could be created.
Although Kitazawa's Chakra had already far surpassed most Ninjas, compared to Hashirama Senju, it still seemed inferior.
With the Ryūmyaku's Chakra, he could also learn more advanced Wood Release techniques.
It's just that Kitazawa didn't like sealing these messy things inside his body. He planned to seal the Ryūmyaku into his Ninja tools—such as a bow or a sword.
Then, during combat, he could simply take it out and use it as needed.
[Current Mission: Travel through time and facilitate the meeting between Naruto and his father.]
[Mission Reward: Space-Time Ninjutsu Talent.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's pupils involuntarily constricted. He wasn't surprised that a system mission could be triggered.
After all, previous theatrical versions had corresponding system missions. But this mission reward greatly exceeded his expectations.
His first reaction upon seeing the space-time Ninjutsu talent was the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was undoubtedly an extremely useful Ninjutsu. It directly elevated Minato Namikaze's strength from an Elite Jonin to a terrifying Kage-level powerhouse.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was the pinnacle of all Body Flicker Techniques.
Its effect was to first leave a Flying Thunder God formula on a target, allowing instantaneous movement through that formula.
But it wasn't limited to teleporting oneself—its advanced usage could transfer any target, even a Tailed Beast Ball.
It was no exaggeration to say that any Ninja who learned the Flying Thunder God Technique was almost invincible. After all, if you couldn't win, you could simply run.
In the entire Ninja World, the only one who could barely keep up with the Flying Thunder God Technique was the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Kitazawa accepted this mission without any hesitation.
Although it wasn't a direct reward of the Flying Thunder God Technique, having space-time Ninjutsu talent essentially meant he could learn it.
[Current Mission: Defeat Mukade and correct history.]
[Mission Reward: Yin-Yang Rasengan.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa was slightly startled. There was another system mission?
He glanced at it and immediately understood.
Mukade was the main villain of the theatrical version Lost Tower, equivalent to the box of ultimate bliss's Satori or the Land of Demons' Moryo.
As for the mission reward, the Yin-Yang Rasengan, it came from Naruto and Minato Namikaze. At the end of the movie, they defeated Mukade together with the Yin-Yang Rasengan.
The Yin-Yang Rasengan functioned more like a Compound Ninjutsu, created from the fusion of Yang Release: Rasengan and Yin Release: Rasengan.
It was powerful, but also extremely difficult—an S-rank Ninjutsu.
Kitazawa stroked his chin.
Although the Yin-Yang Rasengan usually required two people to use, he should be able to use it alone.
A Yang Release: Rasengan in one hand and a Yin Release: Rasengan in the other—combined together, wouldn't that be the Yin-Yang Rasengan?
Kitazawa believed it was completely feasible.
He recovered his focus and looked at the system mission. There was also a reminder to correct history.
This was undoubtedly related to Mukade.
Mukade had also time-traveled—he had gone to Rōran, disguised himself as Anrokuzan, and used the power of the Ryūmyaku to try to unify the Ninja World.
It had to be said, the main villains of the movies were always extremely ambitious.
To correct history likely meant following the events of the movie—defeating Mukade, and everyone returns to their original timelines.
Fortunately, Kitazawa had no desire to cause chaos.
After all, disrupting the timeline would consume the Ryūmyaku's power, and the unknown consequences could easily outweigh the benefits.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
Although he wanted to complete these two system missions as soon as possible, rushing wouldn't help.
Normally, the events of Lost Tower occurred only after Naruto and the others graduated, still a few years away.
But Kitazawa obviously couldn't wait that long. The key was Mukade.
Mukade was a Ninja from the Hidden Sand Village. After defecting, he went to the Ryūmyaku, broke the seal, and triggered the time travel incident.
In short, Kitazawa first needed to determine his location.
As the sun set, Kitazawa and Tsunade left the Casino. The result was as expected—they hadn't won a single game all afternoon.
"Lady Tsunade! Kitazawa!" A familiar voice rang out.
They turned back—it was Kurenai. Behind her were Kimimaro, Shino Aburame, and Sakura.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Sakura and the other two quickly greeted him.
"You three just came from the ca—" Before Kurenai finished, Tsunade interrupted her.
"Don't tell Shizune about today." Tsunade winked at her.
"I understand." Kurenai smiled helplessly.
"You three go back and rest," Kitazawa said to Sakura and the others.
"Okay, Teacher Kitazawa." The three nodded and headed home.
"Let's go, we should return too." Tsunade yawned. "I gambled all afternoon. I'm starving. I need to drink tonight to make up for it."
"Lady Tsunade, I'll drink with you." Kurenai immediately volunteered.
"Then we drink until we drop!" Tsunade said excitedly. "Kitazawa, go buy alcohol!"
"..."
Kitazawa shook his head. It really was troublesome dealing with two women who loved to drink.
But it was also subtly amusing—after all, his relationship with both of them was unusual.
"You two go back first," Kitazawa said, naturally taking responsibility.
Night fell.
Tsunade and Kurenai drank until late at night, looking like biological sisters bonding over alcohol.
Kitazawa eventually took Kurenai home.
The next morning, Kurenai was still asleep.
Kitazawa placed the summoning scroll for the Giant Clam beside her bed and went to the ANBU Base.
Konan had returned to the Akatsuki Organization, so she wasn't there. Fortunately, finding Mukade didn't require her.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and entrusted the task to Asuma.
Itachi was helping him investigate the Hyuga Clan's Main Family elder; giving him this task as well would be too much.
Moreover, Mukade was in Hidden Sand Village—if Itachi went there, he wouldn't be able to continue investigating the Hyuga elder.
After explaining everything to Asuma, Kitazawa went to the mission archive room in the Hokage Building.
Normally, all mission reports were submitted after completion and stored there.
Kitazawa's target was the mission log of Minato Namikaze, Shibi Aburame, Choza Akimichi, and Kakashi Hatake's journey to Rōran. Because the Ryūmyaku time travel took place in the same timeline.
Now that Minato was dead, his mission to Rōran had already become history.
Kitazawa quickly found Minato's report. He opened it and began reading.
Back then, Rōran—through Mukade disguised as Anrokuzan—had developed a massive puppet army using the Ryūmyaku's power.
Minato and his team's mission was to stop him from harming the interests of the Land of Fire and Konoha.
However, the report did not mention Naruto and the others. Because before leaving Rōran, Minato and his team had their memories sealed.
But Kitazawa had already achieved his goal. He now knew the exact location of the Ryūmyaku.
Kitazawa left the Hokage Building and headed for the Ninja Academy.
"Senior Kitazawa." Iruka was still in the office.
"Who else hasn't returned?" Kitazawa asked directly.
"Lord Third Hokage," Iruka replied.
"Alright. Once he brings his team back, inform me. Then have the Genius Class students gather at nine in the morning the day after tomorrow."
Kitazawa paused for a moment and added, "And don't forget to compile the practical exam rankings."
"Understood, Kitazawa-senpai." Iruka nodded firmly.
"Hm. Thank you for your hard work. See you next time." Kitazawa didn't linger after giving instructions and headed home.
Kurenai had already woken up and was in the courtyard observing her new Summoning Beast, the Giant Clam.
"How is it?" Kitazawa walked up and asked.
"It hasn't paid any attention to me since it was summoned." Kurenai shook her head helplessly.
"It's normal for it not to pay attention to you," Kitazawa mused. "After all, its previous master was Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki."
"Then what should I do?" Kurenai asked anxiously. "Does this mean it doesn't acknowledge me as its master?"
"It's simple. Just beat it up," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"What kind of joke are you making at a time like this?" Kurenai elbowed him lightly.
"I'm not joking." Kitazawa shook his head. "It doesn't want to acknowledge you because it hasn't recognized your strength."
"That… sounds surprisingly reasonable." Kurenai blinked, then asked nervously, "But what if I break it?"
"Do this instead." Kitazawa thought briefly. "Demonstrate your strength."
"Let's go behind the house." Kurenai walked forward, grabbed the Giant Clam, and effortlessly lifted it.
Behind the house, Kurenai put the Giant Clam down. She clenched her fist and said, "Watch this punch!"
Then she drove her Chakra Enhanced Strength into the ground.
Boom! The ground cracked open, and rocks flew.
The Giant Clam trembled violently.
"Giant Clam," Kurenai said, stepping toward it. "If you don't say something, I'll punch your shell next."
"K-Kurenai… Kurenai-sama…" A soft voice echoed from within the shell.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. So it was a female clam.
"Your method works perfectly!" Kurenai's face burst into a happy smile.
Kitazawa wasn't surprised. Gengetsu Hozuki had been dead for many years, and the Giant Clam's loyalty had long weakened.
After witnessing Kurenai's strength, it had no reason not to submit.
"Teacher Kitazawa." Kurenai suddenly walked up to him with a smile.
"…?" Kitazawa looked at her in confusion.
"I've already learned the Self Curse Seal. What should I learn next?" Kurenai stated her purpose openly.
Kitazawa raised his hand and lightly slapped her on the buttocks.
"What are you doing?" Kurenai instinctively covered her backside.
"That's punishment for teasing me." Kitazawa glanced at her slightly swaying hips and said, "I'll teach you a new Ninjutsu—Yin Release: Rasengan."
"Yin Release: Rasengan?" Kurenai's attention snapped to the new jutsu. "How is it different from Wind Release: Rasengan?"
She had already learned Wind Release: Rasengan because she needed it to perform the Compound Ninjutsu Hurricane Water Vortex Technique with Kitazawa.
"Wind Release: Rasengan adds cutting and rotational speed," Kitazawa explained. "Yin Release: Rasengan adds mental attack."
The reason he thought of teaching it to her was, of course, because of the Yin-Yang Rasengan.
"Then teach me now!" Kurenai said eagerly.
"In a couple of days." Kitazawa smiled. "Because I haven't learned it yet."
"…" Kurenai fell silent.
She finally understood. Kitazawa was going to learn it on the spot—and to modify a Rasengan and master Yin Release: Rasengan within two days… that level could only be called monstrous.
The gap between them was truly overwhelming.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
---
Nine in the morning.
Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the Ninja Academy.
The last three students had returned safely under Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership, meaning the Genius Class final exam was officially concluding.
"I will now announce the rankings for the practical exam." Kitazawa took the report card from Iruka and stepped before the assembled students.
Sasuke and the others immediately focused on him.
Kitazawa smiled lightly and began reading out the names of the students who achieved full marks in their missions.
Besides Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata, Yakumo and Kiba also scored perfectly.
There had been many unpredictable variables in this practical exam, so it wasn't unusual for multiple students to get full scores.
"How are there so many perfect scores?" Kiba groaned with regret.
He had assumed that achieving a perfect score would put him in the top three—possibly even first place.
But now, that dream was gone.
Five perfect scores. And worst of all, the other four usually ranked above him in the theoretical exams.
Sasuke felt instantly confident—his theoretical exam placements were consistently third.
Naruto, of course, was definitely below him.
Hinata and Yakumo posed a greater threat, as they were usually only one or two spots below him.
But as long as Sasuke stayed in third place, his final overall ranking would still be first.
"Now for the theoretical exam rankings." Kitazawa said with a smile, "First place: Nara Shikamaru. Second place: Sakura Haruno."
An unsurprising result. Sasuke stared at him, a faint tension flickering in his eyes.
"Sasuke-kun, third place is definitely yours!" Seeing his expression, Sakura quickly tried to comfort him.
"Third place: Hyuga Neji," Kitazawa announced.
"Huh?" Sakura froze for a moment, then hurriedly added, "It's okay, Sasuke-kun! Neji's practical exam score was lower than yours!"
"Fourth place: Hyuga Hinata." Kitazawa continued.
Sakura went completely silent.
Hinata's practical exam result was tied for first place—equal to Sasuke's. But her theoretical exam score was higher, which meant Sasuke's final ranking would now fall below hers.
Am I really a jinx? Sakura began doubting the meaning of her entire existence.
Sasuke twitched the corner of his mouth. A perfect practical score, yet he still lost first place in the final ranking?
Fortunately, he was already used to this kind of setback and didn't feel too shaken.
"Am I… first place?" Hinata blinked, then her eyes widened in surprise and joy.
She was not nearly as obsessed with rankings as Sasuke, but being in first place was still something worth celebrating.
"Final Ranking: First place—Hyuga Hinata." After finishing the theoretical rankings, Kitazawa announced the final results.
"Everyone is so amazing!" Shion couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
She doubted whether she could even place within the top eighteen in the future.
"You'll get used to it." Ino glanced at her and said calmly.
"This semester's final exam is now over. Summer vacation begins tomorrow. I wish you all a wonderful break." Kitazawa smiled. "Dismissed."
"Goodbye, Teacher Kitazawa!" The Genius Class students called out in unison before dispersing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakashi, Chen, and the others also departed without lingering.
Just as Kitazawa was preparing to go home with Kurenai, he noticed Kimimaro approaching.
"Teacher Kitazawa," Kimimaro said hesitantly, "My Shikotsumyaku has hit a bottleneck."
Since joining the Genius Class, he had been self-studying Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch. But he still couldn't fully master it, which made him increasingly anxious.
In truth, his speed wasn't slow at all. The difficulty of the Dance of the Larch was no less than an A-rank technique—he was progressing normally.
It was simply that the others in the Genius Class improved too quickly.
When he first joined, he consistently placed in the top five. Now, he only entered the top five on lucky days.
[Current Mission: Help Kimimaro master Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch.]
[Mission Reward: 30% Shikotsumyaku.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa twitched the corner of his mouth.
I'm happy you triggered a system mission… but how exactly am I supposed to help him when I don't know the Dance of the Larch myself?
If you gave me the mission reward first, I could awaken the rest of my Shikotsumyaku right away.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
Of course, he had to accept. Only this 30% stood between him and complete Shikotsumyaku.
But how to help Kimimaro was the problem.
His slow progress wasn't due to poor talent—but rather because he had no teacher, relying entirely on self-study.
Kitazawa's first thought was to use Edo Tensei to summon a Jonin from the Kaguya Clan to instruct Kimimaro. But explaining that to him would be… tricky.
"Give me the Ninjutsu Scroll for Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch," Kitazawa said after a moment of consideration.
He planned to study it first and see if he could learn anything. Even if he couldn't master it, he could still teach Kimimaro.
After all, he now possessed proficiency in all elements and mastery over countless techniques. And his Shikotsumyaku had already reached 70%.
If that still wasn't enough, he would simply Edo Tensei a Kaguya Clan Jonin, learn the key principles from them, and then pass them on to Kimimaro.
Since he possessed Shikotsumyaku himself, learning more techniques from the clan was inevitable. In a sense, it was killing two birds with one stone.
Kimimaro was momentarily stunned. He had only come to take a chance—he didn't expect Kitazawa to actually have a solution.
He quickly handed him the Ninjutsu Scroll.
"You should go back for now." Kitazawa put the scroll away.
"Mhm." Kimimaro held back his anticipation and left with Jugo.
Kitazawa and Kurenai returned home.
Kurenai continued practicing Yin Release: Rasengan, while Kitazawa opened Kimimaro's scroll.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch created dozens of sharpened bones that sprouted instantly from all over the body, providing both offense and defense.
The technique also possessed a powerful rebound force—extremely effective against Taijutsu specialists.
It sounded simple, but was actually quite troublesome to master. On top of that, the scroll itself lacked detailed guidance.
Kitazawa considered visiting the former site of the Kaguya Clan to see if he could find old training notes on Shikotsumyaku.
If not, he would simply have to become a grave robber again.
Then Kitazawa suddenly paused.
The Kaguya Clan had been wiped out by the Hidden Mist Village. Under normal circumstances, the Hidden Mist should have collected all its Shikotsumyaku data.
Kitazawa immediately thought of Uchiha Itachi. He could infiltrate the Hidden Mist Village to search for information.
But that would have to wait until the investigation into the Hyuga Main Family Elder was completed.
Kitazawa put away the scroll, stepped outside, and trained alongside Kurenai—but he was working on Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique.
---
Time moved to the next day—the first day of Summer Vacation.
Many students from the Genius Class still came to the Ninja Academy to continue training, including Shion, who had originally planned to return to the Land of Demons.
But that was fine too.
Kitazawa taught her a new method for Chakra Control. She had already grasped Tree Climbing and Water Walking, but for her, that level was far from enough.
After all, the power within her body was simply too immense.
Kitazawa felt she needed to reach at least the Proficient level in Chakra Control. In terms of Ninja Rank, that was roughly the level of an average Jonin.
The new training method was still Water Walking—but no longer on calm waters.
Kitazawa borrowed Samehada from Naruto. He tossed it into the Ninja Academy's Artificial Lake, where it writhed according to a certain pattern, stirring the surface into constant waves.
Considering Samehada's nature, it was essentially a special kind of fish; having it handle this task could be considered putting it to good use.
---
One week later.
ANBU Base.
Kitazawa met Itachi.
"Kitazawa-sama." Uchiha Itachi produced a scroll. "This is the situation regarding Hyuga Teikyō over the past month."
A month? Kitazawa thought silently. No wonder you investigated for so long.
He took the scroll, opened it, and began reading. He quickly found the information he was looking for.
During the Hyuga Clan Meeting, Hyuga Teikyō and Hyuga Hiashi had clashed several times over Hyuga Hanabi.
The core issue was whether or not she should receive the Caged Bird Cursed Seal.
Hyuga Hiashi's stated reason was to determine the most outstanding successor between Hyuga Hanabi and Hyuga Hinata.
Kitazawa estimated he used the same reasoning in the original story.
But now, that reasoning no longer convinced anyone.
In the original timeline, Hinata had been timid and had even lost to Hanabi during sparring.
Back then, Hiashi's argument made sense.
But the current Hinata was far too exceptional; neither Hyuga Teikyō nor any of the clan members believed Hanabi could surpass her.
As a result, Hiashi was under considerable pressure.
Looking at it this way, Hanabi might not escape calamity as she did in the original story. Unless he requested Tsunade's assistance.
And honestly, this was partly his fault—without him, Hinata wouldn't have surpassed Hanabi so overwhelmingly.
Still, in a sense, this situation made it easier to persuade Hiashi to accept the Modified Caged Bird Cursed Seal.
"Thank you for your hard work, Itachi." Kitazawa closed the scroll and said, "But I have one more thing I need you to do."
"Kitazawa-sama, please give the order." Uchiha Itachi replied calmly.
"I need information related to Shikotsumyaku," Kitazawa said after a brief pause. "The Hidden Mist Village should have collected the documents."
"I understand. I will depart for the Hidden Mist Village tomorrow." Uchiha Itachi answered without hesitation.
Shikotsumyaku was a Kekkei Genkai, so the Hidden Mist definitely stored their research in a confidential archive.
But since the village no longer had Shikotsumyaku users, the documents likely wouldn't be too deeply hidden.
With his Mangekyō Sharingan, infiltrating and retrieving the information would not be difficult.
"I appreciate the trouble, Itachi." Kitazawa nodded. "You may go rest."
Itachi bowed slightly and left the office.
Kitazawa continued reading the remainder of the scroll. After closing it, he sank into deep thought and eventually decided to go meet Hyuga Hiashi directly.
"Konan, I'm heading out for a bit. You don't need to follow." Kitazawa said as he stood.
Konan appeared in front of him and nodded.
She had returned to Konoha yesterday after spending a week in the Akatsuki Organization, handling the Akatsuki's two major business operations.
Kitazawa walked toward the Hyuga Clan Compound.
It was morning. Hinata and Neji were at the Ninja Academy training, but he saw Hyuga Hanabi.
At four years old, she had already begun practicing basic Taijutsu—more accurately, Gentle Fist.
Although children normally enter the Academy at age six, children from major Ninja Clans begin building their foundation early.
There were even more extreme examples, such as Uchiha Itachi, who was taken to the battlefield at age four.
"There are four mistakes in that punch of yours." After watching for a moment, Kitazawa finally spoke.
"Eh?" Hanabi turned her head instinctively. When she saw him, she immediately brightened. "Teacher Kitazawa!"
She had often heard Hinata talk about Kitazawa, always praising his great achievements. Over time, she too had become influenced.
"Where is your father?" Kitazawa gently patted her head and asked.
"He's in the study." Hanabi pointed toward the room.
"Then I'll go find him."
Kitazawa took two steps—but paused when he felt a tug. Hanabi had grabbed the corner of his clothes.
"Teacher Kitazawa." Hanabi tilted her head. "What were the four mistakes?"
Her personality was far more outgoing than Hinata's.
"Make a fist and raise your hand." Kitazawa smiled.
Hanabi immediately did so.
"The height here is off." Kitazawa tapped her arm. "Raise it three centimeters to the left."
Hanabi quickly corrected her form.
"And here…" Kitazawa pointed out each mistake one by one.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!" Hanabi beamed. "I hope I can join the Genius Class someday too!"
"That's guaranteed." Kitazawa nodded.
"Teacher Kitazawa. Father." Hanabi suddenly straightened—Hyuga Hiashi had emerged from the study.
"Hanabi, continue training on your own. I need to discuss something with your father." Kitazawa patted her head gently and walked toward Hyuga Hiashi.
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Next chapter on 16th.